Advanced Primary Care: Fixing A Broken System

In the current state of healthcare, providers are pressured to see as many patients as possible. The problem with this production-style system is that people aren’t getting any healthier.

How did it get to this point? Peter Li, VP of Marketing and Communications at Vera Whole Health, thinks of it this way: “We reached this point when we had a system that incentivizes practitioners to run tests that may or may not have anything to do with what they're treating a patient for. That generally escalates the time costs of an appointment based on a rule or regulation that is meant to prevent a mistake. That's not necessarily the environment in which a provider is free to pursue the right course of medicine no matter what.”

Below, we examine the impact this broken system has on the typical consumer, and how the Vera Advanced Primary Care model can improve health outcomes.

How members are impacted

Under the current healthcare system, care is costly for members and inefficient. This means that people avoid using the system because they can’t afford care. They also avoid seeing their provider because it requires taking time off from work. The problem is, people are waiting to seek care until they absolutely need it, when concerns have reached a critical point.

Members often end up utilizing the ER for care, when it’s not appropriately built for the type of care they’re seeking. It may be the most convenient and accessible care in the moment, but it’s also the most expensive. Using the ER for primary care also means that members don’t have the opportunity to build strong relationships with a provider and will lack the kind of continuous care that allows them to work on issues over the long term.

The result? People are getting sicker. Providers aren’t able to deliver care the way it should be delivered.

How the Vera Advanced Primary Care model creates a better member experience

Imagine healthcare that treats people, not their symptoms. A model that creates opportunity instead of costs, and emphasizes value over profit.

This is the Vera APC model. Peter Li shares: “It starts with true primary care giving doctors, providers, and care teams what they need to make people healthier. And that's not just an exercise in prescribing medicine, but prescribing a way of living that has to include positive inquiry and curiosity about people’s lives.”

The care team includes a professional Vera health coach, who works closely with members to identify lifestyle and behavior changes they can make to achieve their health goals. With empathetic listening, members can express their concerns in time-rich appointments, which helps to build stronger relationships. Members are empowered to take ownership of their health, creating a better member experience.